“Hey, I’ve been calling you like crazy. I’m off tonight and I want to see you,” Blake said when she picked up.
Jersi pulled up the schedule that he sent her and frowned. His name was clearly on it to work, so she didn’t know how he pulled that off. She loved the fact that Blake worked a lot. That meant less time that she had to be around him.
“The schedule that you sent me said that you had to work,” Jersi pointed out.
“One of my colleagues needed to switch with me, so I have the night off to spend with you,” Blake replied.
“I wish I could Blake but I’m on my period right now,” Jersi lied. Her cycle had come and gone but he didn’t need to know that.
“I don’t care about that Jersi. It’s not just about sex with us. I love being with you. I’ll be satisfied with just waking up next to you,” he replied making Jersi roll her eyes.
“Maybe another time Blake. I really don’t feel good,” Jersi sighed.
“Please baby. I really want to see you. I’ll take good care of you. Besides, I have something for you,” Blake said, peaking her interest.
“Okay. Let me go home and shower first. And I’m starving so have something good for me to eat,” Jersi replied before she hung up the phone.
Spending her Friday night with Blake had her almost as depressed as her situation with Memphis. Still, she was curious as to what he had for her. The thought of Mariah sleeping alone again was always an added bonus too.
“J ust answer for the damn girl. She’s obviously sorry about what she did,” Erin said as she watched Memphis ignore another one of Jersi’s calls.
“Man, fuck that. She played me like I was a straight up fuck boy. I can’t lie and say that I don’t miss her pretty ass but I’ll get over it,” Memphis replied.
“Men are so stubborn. I’ll admit that she was wrong but you’re taking shit too far,” Erin fussed.
It was after midnight and the gym was closed. She and Memphis were wiping down the equipment and they were the only ones there. Erin’s husband hadn’t come to pick her up yet, so she helped her friend out a little before he showed up.
“Why do women think that their feelings are the only ones that matter? Niggas got feelings and our shit get hurt too,” Memphis replied.
“I know that but you take holding a grudge to a whole new level. You don’t know what it is to forgive. I’ve been your friend since tenth grade and no one knows that better than I do,” Erin noted.
“I don’t have a problem forgiving people,” Memphis said.
“Tell that to your father,” Erin replied.
“Man, fuck that nigga. He’s the one who left us to go be with a younger woman. That’s just why she drained his ass and left him for a younger nigga,” Memphis spat angrily.
When his mother, Valerie, made the decision to raise her best friends two kids when she died, his father, Jonah, was against it. Paula and his mother had been best friends since elementary school and nothing changed when they became adults. Paula didn’t really have family, so she spent a lot of time with their family for holidays and other special occasions. Her girls were in their early teens when she died and Valerie didn’t want them to go into the system. Paula’s death was sudden and not something that anyone had time to prepare for. She was a diabetic but the hospital’s negligence is what caused her untimely demise. Jonah was already out there cheating, so he used that as an excuse to move out and be with his younger side chick. He claimed that he was having a hard enough time caring for their three boys and his wife wanted to force him to feed two more. Since Valerie never worked, she depended solely on her husband. Jonah kept the mortgage paid but he didn’t do much else. Thankfully, Paula had a little insurance policy but it wasn’t enough to live on forever. Her daughters got a social security check but Valerie still struggled while her husband flaunted his much younger woman around. It wasn’t until all the kids got old enough to get jobs did things start to get better. Memphis turned to selling drugs but he was discreet with what he did. He wasn’t trying to get rich. He just needed to take some of the pressure off of his mother. He was in college, so he only sold weed and pills to students and teachers on campus. He stacked his money all four years that he was there getting his business degree.
“See, you still feel some kind of way about it,” Erin said, pulling him away from his thoughts of the past.
“I’ll always feel some kind of way about it. The nerve of that clown ass nigga to even fix his lips to ask us for anything. Me and my brothers got it out the mud with no help from his bitch ass,” Memphis fumed.
His oldest brother, Jonah Jr. or JJ, was thirty years old, with Memphis being second oldest at twenty-eight. Vance was the youngest and more level headed one and he was twenty-five. Crazy as it sounded, Vance was the one who gave them advice and kept their heads on straight. Memphis was hot tempered at times and JJ was a man whore. Vance had been married for two years but he and his wife didn’t have any kids. His wife’s father was a pastor and they lived their life like the bible taught them to. He believed in forgiveness and was always preaching that to his brothers. Vance was more sympathetic to their father but Memphis and JJ just didn’t give a fuck.
“Forget all that. I really like Jersi and you do too. I think you need to tell her how what she did affected you and move on. Stop being so difficult all the time. It’s okay to give second chances Memphis,” Erin said as her phone rang.
“Man,” Memphis sighed as he ran his hand down his waves.
“Man nothing. Just talk to her Memphis. My hubby is here, so I’ll see you tomorrow,” Erin said as she walked away.
Once she was gone, Memphis finished cleaning up and left to go home. He knew that Erin was right but he wasn’t trying to hear it. Jersi played him like he was a hoe ass nigga and he didn’t appreciate that. When he pulled up to his house, Memphis damn near ran up to his front door. He had a busy day and he wasn’t in the mood to do nothing but sleep. As soon as he got in, he stripped out of his gym clothes and took a shower. He never slept with clothes on, so he dried off and went straight to the sofa that had become his bed. His house was freezing so he covered up with two big comforters and drifted off to sleep soon after.
The following morning, Memphis woke up to the smell of food. He had plans to sleep in late since he was off. He rarely took off on Saturdays but he wanted the entire weekend off to chill. He was off every Sunday and he usually watched sports or hung out with friends or family. Occasionally, he entertained a few females but he always went to them. No one ever stepped foot in his house.
“Morning sleepy head,” Lila greeted when she walked into the living room.
“What time is it?” Memphis mumbled in his sexy, raspy voice. Everybody said he sounded like DMX and he hated the comparison.
“Almost ten. Get up, breakfast is ready and you know how mama is about eating while the food is hot,” Lila chuckled. He hated when she called Valerie mama but she had been doing it for years. Her sister called her Mrs. Val but Lila was always so extra.
“The fuck are y’all doing here so early,” Memphis barked.
“Watch your filthy mouth boy. I always come here to clean up this nasty mess you call a house,” Valerie fussed when she walked into the room.
“I gave you that key for emergencies only. That’s not for you to come and go as you please,” Memphis reminded her like always.
“Look around you Memphis. This is an emergency. This place looks like a pig pen. This house is too nice for you to keep it like this. You need to put some more furniture in here. It’s too damn empty,” Valerie fussed as Lila giggled.
It was one thing for his mother to visit but she always had Lila with her. It was annoying as fuck and Memphis was tired of telling her about it. He slept in the nude and the covers didn’t always stay on at night. He didn’t need them seeing something that they weren’t supposed to see. Lila was like a fiend and she had been begging for some dick for years. Memphis would die and spend eternity in hell before he ever went there with h
er though. She was too comfortable and his mother made her that way. She sometimes showed up at his house with food even when his mother wasn’t with her. That was unacceptable on so many levels.
“I need y’all to step out while I get up,” Memphis said as he sat up and stretched.
“Come on Lila. Let’s start in this bedroom,” Valerie said as she walked towards the master bedroom.
“Leave it. Nothing in that room or the one next to it needs to be cleaned or touched,” Memphis noted.
“Memphis, baby, it’s been three years. Let me dust and freshen up the bed clothes at least,” Valerie begged.
“Just leave it ma. We go through this all the time and I tell you the same thing. I don’t care how long it’s been. Don’t even open those two doors,” Memphis ordered.
“Okay baby. We’ll start in one of these other rooms,” Valerie said as she and Lila walked away somberly.
Memphis waited for a few minutes before he walked into the bedroom where he kept his clothes. He threw on some boxers and some sweats before going to the kitchen to eat. Once he said his grace, he dug into the omelet and grits that his mother had prepared. When he was done, he sat the plate in the sink and grabbed a carton of orange juice from the fridge. Memphis turned it up to his mouth and drank straight from the carton just like always.
“What did I tell you about that boy? That is so unsanitary,” Valarie fussed when she walked into the kitchen.
“This is my house, my kitchen and my juice. I’m a bachelor and nobody has to drink this but me,” Memphis replied.
“You’re a bachelor because you want to be. Lila has all but begged to be with you and you act like she’s invisible,” Valerie said.
“She is invisible to me. I would never even entertain the idea of being with her and I can’t believe that you’re okay with that nasty shit,” Memphis fumed.
“There is nothing nasty about it. People do it all the time, especially back in the day. I honestly don’t see nothing wrong with it,” Valerie countered.
“It’s never happening ma. Besides, she’s in a relationship with my first cousin,” Memphis pointed out.
“Her and Juan are not together,” Valerie corrected.
It didn’t matter to him one way or another. Memphis could never see himself dealing with Lila on a romantic level. He felt disrespected every time someone even mentioned it. She had dated his cousin Juan off and on for years but that was only a small part of why he would never go there with her.
“I got some moves to make. Lock up when you leave,” Memphis said while ignoring his mother’s last statement.
He took another quick shower before he got dressed for the day. He wanted to go see what his brothers were up to and hit the mall.
His first stop was to Vance’s job but he didn’t stay very long. Vance was too busy and he couldn’t really stop to talk. Unlike most managers, Vance was hands on at the car wash where he worked. He didn’t mind getting his hands dirty but JJ was the total opposite. When Memphis pulled up on him, he was outside on the phone arguing with someone. More than likely it was his girlfriend because that was all that they seemed to do. JJ couldn’t stay faithful for longer than a month and that was why they always had problems. His girl was always putting him out which was why he got a sofa for his office. He had on his car wash uniform with his name etched on the front. Memphis didn’t know why he wore the damn thing because he never helped out. Although they had a drive thru car wash area, most customers preferred to get a hand wash instead. They had a nice waiting area, so they didn’t mind.
“What’s up boy?” Memphis asked as he pounded his brother’s fist.
“Same ole shit with this damn girl. She always think a nigga out here doing her dirty,” JJ frowned in response.
“Are you?” Memphis smirked.
“I mean, I fucked around with a chick that I met in the club last night but she don’t know that. I hate when people just be assuming shit. I had to sleep in my office last night,” JJ argued.
“Man, you full of shit,” Memphis laughed as his phone rang. When he saw Jersi’s number pop up, he started not to answer. He had been missing her too much for him to continue ignoring her though.
“Damn lil brother. Who is that?” JJ asked when he saw Jersi’s picture pop up on his brother’s phone screen. It was a picture that Jersi sent to him that he fell in love with.
“What’s good Jersi?” Memphis asked when he answered the phone and ignored his brother’s question.
“Hello?” Jersi said, shocked that he picked up.
“Yeah. What’s up?” Memphis questioned.
“Um…nothing,” Jersi said before the line got quiet again.
“I know you didn’t call me to just hold the phone,” Memphis noted.
“No, I’m just surprised that you picked up,” Jersi replied.
“That makes two of us. I don’t do too well with second chances,” Memphis admitted.
“I know Memphis and I apologize,” Jersi said.
“I don’t want no over the phone apology. Come see me,” he requested.
“Where are you?” Jersi asked.
“I’ll send you my location,” Memphis said.
“Okay, I’m coming now,” Jersi replied before she hung up.
Memphis hung around and talked to his brother and a few other employees for a while. About thirty minutes later, he saw Jersi car’s pull up and he waved her over to park next to his car.
“Damn boy. Who the fuck is that?” JJ asked when he saw Jersi get out of the car and walk towards them.
She had on a yellow dress that looked great against her chocolate skin. Her hair was wild with curls and she looked like a model without even trying. When she got closer, Memphis pulled her in for a hug as his brother and a few other employees watched.
“The fuck is y’all looking at? Nosey ass niggas,” Memphis laughed.
“Damn bro, you not gon’ introduce me?” JJ asked.
“Nope but I need to use your office for a minute,” Memphis replied as he grabbed Jersi’s hand and walked away.
He was being petty but he didn’t give a damn. He wasn’t about to introduce Jersi to his people if she didn’t feel the need to introduce him to hers. Maybe once they talked, he would feel differently. When they walked into the office, Memphis pulled out a chair for her to sit down. He then sat down next to her and put his feet up on the desk. Jersi was nervous about how he was looking at her but she already knew why.
“I owe you an apology and I’m woman enough to admit when I’m wrong. We’re still in the beginning of our friendship and I wasn’t ready to introduce you to my mother yet,” Jersi admitted.
“You just said a mouthful without even realizing it. We’re only friends Jersi. I’m not pressed to meet your family and I would never rush something like that. I don’t run around introducing everybody to my family either. But damn, you could have gave a nigga a head nod, a wave or something. That was foul as fuck,” Memphis replied angrily.
“I agree and I’m sorry. I should have introduced you as a friend,” Jersi acknowledged.
“I was ready to be done with you but I just couldn’t do it. I can’t even front like I don’t care because I do. It’s been a minute since I’ve been genuinely interested in somebody,” Memphis said making her blush.
“I like you a lot too,” Jersi confessed.
“Yeah, I know. I can tell by how many times you called me,” Memphis said cockily.
He pulled Jersi up from her chair and sat her on his lap. She smelled good but she looked even better. Memphis didn’t realize how much he missed her but he was happy that they were able to work things out.
“Are you off today?” Jersi asked him.
“Yep, I’m off the entire weekend. You trying to hang with me today?” Memphis asked.
“Where do you wanna go?” Jersi asked.
“I’ll think of something. You can leave your car here and ride with me,” Memphis replied as he pulled her close and devoured her lips wi
th a kiss.
Jersi had gloss on her lips that tasted like strawberries. He didn’t care that he was taking it off and neither did she.
“Shit, my fault bro,” JJ said when he walked into his office and caught them in a heated lip lock.
“Nah, it’s cool. We’re about to head out. Her car is staying here but we’ll be back to get it later,” Memphis replied.
“I’m sorry that my brother is so rude. We were raised better than that. I’m Memphis’ oldest brother, Jonah, but you can call me JJ,” he said as he extended his hand out to Jersi.
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Jersi,” she replied as she shook his hand.
“Don’t introduce yourself to her. She’s the one that’s rude. She didn’t introduce me to her people either,” Memphis joked as he stood up and wrapped his arm around her waist.
Three Is A Crowd Page 11
